


Frozen Tears

by C-chan (1001paperboxes)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 22:38:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10500882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1001paperboxes/pseuds/C-chan
Summary: Or, five times the ice proved hurtful, and how it made them stronger.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pictureperfectporcelain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pictureperfectporcelain/gifts).



> For the prompt "Someone gets very hurt on the ice."
> 
> Happy April Fools, I hope you enjoy.

#### 1998, Hasetsu, Japan

It hurt when the big boy knocked him over. He'd been doing so well, too, he'd even turned around and skated _backwards,_ making Yuu-chan super proud. And he'd stopped just fine on his own and posed and _everything,_ just like the skaters did on TV. And then the big bully boy had slammed into him, sending him tumbling down to the ice.

And then the bully started calling him a fatty fat fat pig who was a fat piggy, and Yuu-chan told him to stop, but that just made him do it more.

And his side hurt from falling, and his feelings hurt from being called a fatty fat piggy, and he could feel the tears stinging his eyes and hot and fat down his cheeks as he broke down crying on the ice.

He didn't want to skate with that big bully around ever again.

* * *

#### 2011, St. Petersburg, Russia

It wasn't until he arrived at the camp that Otabek realized just how impressive the Russian skaters were, or just how far behind he was.

All the other skaters seemed made of pure grace as they pirouetted on the ice. Meanwhile, although he was doing pretty well on jumps for someone his age—he'd even been working with his coach on a triple toe double loop combination before camp started—he had a hard time expressing and a harder time with the the dance components.

When Coach Yakov took him aside to tell him he'd be practicing with the novices from then on, he already knew what was coming.

It hurt his pride immensely to know he wasn't good enough, but maybe there he would improve.

* * *

#### 2016, St. Petersburg, Russia

Finally, he was being pushed into Senior competition. Finally, he was going to be allowed to do quads. Finally, he'd get the routine he'd been promised, and make the strongest first season ever.

Finally, he'd be able to show the world just how good a skater he was, and how determined he was to see everyone else in the dust.

So naturally, on his return home from the World Juniors, he'd slipped on an icy patch in front of the airport and twisted his ankle.

Now, he wouldn't be able to skate for a week. Now, he'd have to put everything on hold. Now, his entire season might be in jeopardy because some idiot hadn't bothered to do his job right.

He'd kill the bastard if he could.

But all he was allowed to do was simple exercises, stretches that wouldn't put too much weight on his leg, and as many of the usual chores as he could safely manage.

Being injured _sucked._

* * *

#### 2016, Hasetsu, Japan

He knew what was happening the moment Yuuri touched him.

He knew it was there, no matter how hard he'd tried to ignore it; the signs of his aging, the beginnings of a life of being old and bald and fat. The thinning had been ironically obvious with his long hair; the short better covering it with volume, but thin it was nonetheless. All he had to do was look up at the mirror with his head tilted down and he could see far too much of his scalp peeking through.

And then Yuuri, the man who'd begged to be his protégé, who never failed to amaze him, who still had energy after eleven thousand run-throughs of his step sequence, had the audacity to poke at the very root of his insecurities.

It was all he could do to wilt to the floor and declare himself deeply hurt, mortally wounded by the other man's actions.

Well, he thought as Yuuri went into a traditional Japanese dogeza, at least now he'd have a chance to cool down.

* * *

#### 2017, Helsinki, Finland

Nothing hurt more than seeing JJ top the podium at the World Figure Skating Championships.

_Nothing._

* * *

The world of ice skating would always be fierce, full of competitors with their own sparks, able to shine brighter in their own unique ways. Full of worries of taking off wrong or missing a landing and suddenly having all chances of victory, or even of skating again, slip away. Full of judgements of how one should look (thin and muscular, but not too thin or muscular), who one should be with (all figure skaters are gay, they said, and yet straying from the heterosexual narrative could lead to career suicide), how one should behave (smiles perfected for cameras, public personae developed and turned into an artform).

And yet, the ice was a comforting constant. Always there to skate upon once more. Always bringing new chances, new opportunities. A freshly resurfaced rink was a story waiting to be told; a rink after hours of practice was a proud mark of what had been achieved.

If Yuuri had not gotten back on the ice after the bully—no, _Takeshi_ —had teased him, he'd never have found his idol.

If Otabek had given up after being found wanting, he'd never had met the boy with soldier-eyes.

If Yuri hadn't found the drive after recovery, he'd never had broken world records, nor reconnected with his first and dearest friend.

If Victor hadn't played through his insecurities, he may have never understood Yuuri's own issues.

If other skaters couldn't be just as talented, just as brilliant, just as willing and able to fight for gold, there would have been no inspiration to come back even better than before in each new competition.

And so they skated on. And so they'd become stronger. And so through their wounds on the ice, they developed.


End file.
